Medical Students’ Hepatitis B

Immunization Initiative
Work Plan
 There are risks and costs
to a program of action.  But
they are far less than the
long-range risks and costs of
comfortable inaction."

-John F. Kennedy
Step 1
Consider the Evidence
 First Do No Harm

c t o r s
Do d
sp r ea
can s e
di s e a

MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18

 Doctor Protect Thyself!

Because of their contact with

patients or infective material
from patients, healthcare
workers are at risk for
vaccine-preventable diseases

MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18

 Protect Your Patient, Protect Yourself!

Immunization safeguards
the health of health care
workers and protects
patients from becoming
infected through exposure
to infected workers

MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18

Vaccinations That Doctors Need
those for which active immunization is strongly
recommended because of special risks for HCWs

• Hepatitis B • Influenza • Measles

• Mumps • Rubella • Varicella

those for which active and/or passive immunization of

HCWs may be indicated in certain circumstances

• Tuberculosis • Hepatitis A • Vaccinia

• Meningococcal disease • Typhoid • Pertussis

those for which immunization of all adults is

recommended

• Tetanus • Pneumococcal disease

• Diphtheria
MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18
Vaccination Recommendations

MMWR, June 29, 2001, Vol. 50, RR-11.

Hepatitis B
 major infectious hazard for health-care
personnel

 In 1993
 estimated 1,450 workers became infected
with hepatitis B through exposure to blood
and serum-derived body fluids
 5%-10% of HBV-infected workers become
chronically infected

 An estimated 100-200 health-care

personnel have died annually during the
past decade because of the chronic
consequences of HBV infection (CDC,
unpublished data).
MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18
Get Vaccinated Now!
 Risks for percutaneous and
permucosal exposures to blood vary
during the training and working career
of each person

Risk is highest during the

professional training period

 Therefore, vaccination should be

completed during training in schools,
before trainees have contact with
blood
MMWR, December 26, 1997, Vol. 46, RR-18
 "A good plan today is better
than a perfect plan tomorrow.“

-General George Smith Patton, Jr.

Step 2
Plan the Campaign
 Obtain Organizational Commitment

"Unless commitment
is made,
there are only promises
and hopes;
but no plans."

-Peter F. Drucker
Obtain Organizational Commitment
Develop a Policy
If your faculty does not have a formal policy on Hepatitis B
immunization, develop one, have it approved, and
disseminate it.

 The following steps will help you create an effective policy:

 Indicate who should be immunized, why, and when.
 Include a detailed goal, such as reaching the Safe Students 2015 goal
of 90 percent immunization.
 Make the policy available to all

The policy can also be used as a “teaching moment” to educate

leadership and staff on the importance of this issue
Strategies to Improve Hepatitis B
Vaccination in Medical Students

 Make Vaccination Convenient

 The most effective strategy in increasing vaccination
rates
 bring the vaccine to where the people are

 Remove Cost Barriers

 offer vaccines at an affordable rate
 Get creative and explore the possibility of making
arrangements with companies or other organizations to
help with funding
Strategies to Improve Hepatitis B
Vaccination in Medical Students
  

 Educate & Dispel Myths

 Find out what your peers know about Hepatitis B and their concerns
 educate them about Hepatitis B vaccination and dispel any
misconceptions

 Engage Upper Level Management and Administration

 Another important factor is to engage your faculty and
administration in the process.
 Have professors or members of the administration serve as
advocates for vaccination, and publicly vaccinate these individuals
  
to set the tone for your campaign.
Campaign Methods
EDUCATIONAL/AWARENESS ACTIVITIES
▪ Forums/ meetings   
▪ Pamphlets
▪ Radio/newspapers  
▪ Posters/graffiti
▪ Events
▪ Information tables
▪ Symbols/tokens
▪ Blogs

VACCINATION CLINICS/Actual Immunization Day

 The most effective strategy in increasing vaccination rates is
convenience
 Make the vaccine more accessible to the students by bringing it to
them and offering affordable rates.
Step 2
Lets Plan
OBJECTIVES OR AIMS OF THE CAMPAIGN

 What are the main things you want to achieve with the campaign?
 Objectives should be SMART
 Specific : clearly stated and understood
 Measurable : Results are defined (quality and quantity)
 Achievable : Within the competencies and capabilities of the team
 Realistic : Within the realistic control and scope of each team member
 Timed : Definite time goal

 Examples
 To increase awareness about the risk of acquiring Hepatitis B among medical students by
conducting at least 2 disease awareness activities this year.
 To vaccinate at least 100 medical students in year 3 against hepatitis B by the end of this
year.
 To achieve at least 90% vaccination rates among medical students entering co-as by the
year 2013 by conducting disease awareness campaigns and vaccination clinics throughout
the year.
TARGET AUDIENCE
 Who are you trying to win over, reach or involve in each
part of the campaign?

 The campaign should reach every student in your faculty

in some way, but you should also target specific people to
make sure different parts of the campaign are effective.

 Here are some examples:

▪ Medical students who are entering co-as
▪ Unvaccinated Medical students in their first year as co-
as
SLOGAN AND MESSAGE
▪ A very important part of your strategy is the broad message you want to
communicate and the slogan that sums it up
▪ Slogans will give your campaign an identity.
▪ "Key messages or Message themes" are the ideas we try to get across in
everything we say and do.
▪ A campaign will have much more impact if the message is clear and if
everyone involved keeps saying the same things.

▪ Here are some examples:

▪ Slogan
 “Think B!” Awareness campaign by the American Liver Foundation
 “B Here!” Campaign for the Asian American Community
 “Protect your patients, protect yourself”
▪ Message
 “Doctors-in-training are more at risk to acquire Hepatitis B, get vaccinated before
you start handling patients”